OAKLAND -- Members of the East Bay Green Corridor, Sungevity® and the Governor's Office of Business & Economic Development will gather to announce the Green Corridor’s new solar permitting process, which includes groundbreaking structural guidelines that could potentially save contractors and homeowners between $850 and $3,500 dollars per installation in California by avoiding expensive engineering assessments.

What: The East Bay Green Corridor (a State iHub) & Sungevity will announce the creation of standardized solar permitting guidelines across the region that will cut red tape, reduce installation costs and boost the local economy.

Who: Sungevity, 55 Harrison, 3rd Floor, Oakland, CA 94607

The Impark parking lot is located at the front entrance to 55 Harrison St. Google map:

Rollout of 50 Mitsubishi All-Electric Vehicles to City of San Jose, Town of Los Gatos, City of Campbell and City of Mill Valley Marks Significant Electric Vehicle Milestone

SAN JOSE, C.A., June 27, 2013 – Mitsubishi Motors North America President and CEO Yoichi Yokozawa, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, the Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) and other Bay Area leaders today announced at a press conference at San Jose City Hall the deployment of 50 Mitsubishi all-electric vehicles to four Bay Area local government fleets – San Jose, Los Gatos, Campbell and Mill Valley – representing the largest single municipal fleet deployment of light-duty all-electric vehicles (EVs) in the nation to date.

Supporting the region’s efforts to establish the Bay Area as the “EV Capital of the US” and Governor Brown’s goal of 1.5 million EVs on California roads by 2025, this deployment is one in a series the BACC and partners are facilitating, which collectively could result in 250+ EVs deployed over the next 12 months for valuable potential impacts including fuel cost savings of nearly $2 million and avoidance of nearly 6 million pounds of CO2 over five years.

The vehicles were secured under highly favorable lease terms, removing the upfront cost barrier and risk of traditional vehicle procurement. These unique lease options are allowing participating municipalities to expand on their already progressive sustainability efforts, while delivering the significant operations, maintenance and fuel cost savings associated with EVs.

The City of San Jose, which received 38 of the 50 vehicles, is aiming to power 100 percent of its fleet with alternative fuel vehicles by 2022 as a part of its Green Vision, and is currently 40 percent of the way toward achieving this goal. “We appreciate the opportunity to secure these new vehicles without any upfront expenditure,” said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. “By replacing older, less efficient vehicles with clean EVs, we reduce emissions but more importantly, save on fuel costs.”

This deployment also is enabling smaller municipalities to both demonstrate the benefits of EVs in fleets and emerge as sustainability leaders. “The Town of Los Gatos is pleased to participate in this initiative to add electric vehicles to the fleet, which lowers our carbon footprint in keeping with our Sustainability Plan,” said Town of Los Gatos Mayor Barbara Spector. “In addition to being nearly 40 percent less expensive to fuel, these vehicles will significantly reduce the Town’s greenhouse gas emissions – over three years our five vehicles will avoid nearly 20,000 lbs of CO2.”

“Many of our fleet vehicle routes are predictable and take place within the city itself,” explained City of Campbell Mayor Evan Low. “These i-MiEVs are ideally suited for such applications and, using the network of 11 charging stations we've installed, we’ll be able to charge the vehicles throughout the day. The EV proposition makes a lot of sense for our fleet.”

“The City of Mill Valley is pleased to deploy these all-electric vehicles, reflecting the Council’s core value of environmental conservation and sustainability,” said Mill Valley Mayor Andrew Berman. “The need for green transportation alternatives represents a global issue and is more critical than ever. Integrating EVs into the City fleet makes both economic and environmental sense, and we will encourage other local governments to join us in doing the same.”

“The California Bay Area is known worldwide for fostering innovation and advanced technology, so it is fitting that the cities of San Jose, Los Gatos, Campbell and Mill Valley are deploying such a large fleet of highly energy efficient Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicles,” said Yoichi Yokozawa, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. “These forward-thinking municipalities will reap many benefits from having the Mitsubishi i-MiEV in their fleets, such as tremendous reliability, an excellent safety record, greatly reduced maintenance and operation costs and, of course, zero tailpipe emissions.”

This distinctive opportunity was the result of a multi-partner, cross-sector collaboration. Mitsubishi Motors North America is the supplier of the all-electric i-MiEV. Active International, a corporate trading and marketing solutions provider with services that increase market share, funded the leases through its corporate trading program, and worked with Mike Albert Fleet Solutions, a national fleet management and services provider, to develop the highly favorable leasing terms. The BACC validated the Bay Area market for Active International, facilitated key business relationships in support of the deal and coordinated with the public agencies to help finalize agreements.

“Combined, these 50 vehicles could save the participating municipalities over $110,000 in fuel costs and reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 400,000 lbs over three years,” noted Rafael Reyes, Executive Director of the Bay Area Climate Collaborative. “For fleets, EVs bring improved total-cost-of ownership and insulation from gas price hikes. These municipalities are true clean vehicle pioneers, actively helping to demonstrate the benefits of EVs in fleets and providing a model for other fleets to follow.”

About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative

The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and established by the Mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland to accelerate the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, PG&E, Environmental Defense Fund, industry partners including ChargePoint, and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. The BACC is driving electric vehicle innovation through co-facilitation of the EV Strategic Council, the executive forum driving the region’s vision to be the “EV Capital of the US”; theLocal Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project and facilitation of negotiated EV leases for fleets, for the largest collective municipal all-battery EV fleet deployment in the US; and Ready, Set, Charge, California!A Guide to EV-Ready Communities delivering key guidance on EV preparedness. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org.

About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all manufacturing, sales, marketing, research and development operations for Mitsubishi Motors in the United States. MMNA sells coupes, sedans and sport utility vehicles through a network of approximately 400 dealers. In November of 2011, MMNA launched the battery-powered electric vehicle Mitsubishi i-MiEV as part of a corporate mission to offer consumers more environmentally responsible modes of transportation. This battery-powered electric vehicle technology addresses the need for vehicles that produce zero tailpipe emissions and support a growing agenda for sustainability. For more information, contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at(888) 560-6672or visitmedia.mitsubishicars.com.

About Active International

Active International consults with the Fortune 1000 on ways to optimize their enterprise assets, typically excess consumer packaged goods, real estate and capital equipment. As the global leader in corporate trade, Active has successfully helped many of the world’s leading brands recover value, reduce costs and increase market share. Providing a dynamic financial tool, Active has helped its clients improve their business performance, delivering $1.5 billion in economic benefit since 1984. Active International is based in New York and has offices in 14 countries. www.activeinternational.com.

About Mike Albert Fleet Solutions

Cincinnati-based Mike Albert Fleet Solutions provides fleet optimization solutions that maximize cash flow, lower total cost of ownership, increase productivity and build brand awareness. The organization is one of the top 10 fleet management companies in the country, and is currently the nation's number one privately-held Closed-End lessor. Mike Albert offers Open and Closed-End leasing, Purchase-Leaseback options, and a comprehensive list of fleet management services, including Maintenance Management, AutoTag registration renewal, Telematics, accident management, fuel card, remarketing, and more. For more information, please visit www.mikealbert.com.

SAN JOSE C.A., Jun. 24, 2013 – Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) President and CEO Yoichi Yokozawa, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and other Bay Area regional leaders will make a major electric vehicle (EV) milestone announcement on Thursday, June 27th, 2013 at San Jose City Hall. The press conference will highlight the single largest municipal fleet deployment of light-duty all-electric vehicles in the nation, with the placement of 50 all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEVs to four Bay Area municipalities - San Jose, Los Gatos, Campbell and Mill Valley.

These 50 vehicles have the potential to save nearly $40,000 in fuel costs and avoid over 130,000 lbs of CO2 annually. The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is providing support for this landmark deployment and other ongoing initiatives to catalyze EV adoption in Bay Area fleets, which collectively could result in 250+ EVs for potential impacts including nearly $2 million in fuel cost savings and avoidance of nearly 6 million lbs CO2 over five years.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Claire Barton at
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About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative

The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and established by the Mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland to accelerate the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, PG&E, Environmental Defense Fund, industry partners including ChargePoint, and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. The BACC is driving electric vehicle innovation through co-facilitation of the EV Strategic Council, the executive forum driving the region’s vision to be the “EV Capital of the US”; the Local Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project and facilitation of negotiated EV leases for fleets, for the largest collective municipal all-battery EV fleet deployment in the US; and Ready, Set, Charge, California! A Guide to EV-Ready Communities delivering key guidance on EV preparedness. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org.

Initiative to Accelerate Adoption of Electric Vehicles through “Ride and Drives” and Other Outreach

Release by: Bay Area EV Strategic Council

OAKLAND, C.A., June 12, 2013 – The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) announced today that it issued a Request for Proposals for a consultant to assist in the implementation of a region-wide electric vehicle (EV) promotional campaign to accelerate adoption of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs). MTC developed the campaign plan in partnership with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, an executive leadership group comprised of local business, government and non-profit leaders.

“The EV Promotional Campaign is part of the Climate Initiatives Program, which is designed to promote a variety of new techniques for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and vehicle-miles traveled around the Bay Area,” explained MTC Legislation and Public Affairs Director Randy Rentschler. “The acceleration of EV adoption in the Bay Area will help us meet Bay Area GHG emission reduction goals. It will also help reduce consumer spending on fuel and boost job creation in the region, two important benefits.”

“Adoption of more electric and plug-in electric vehicles will advance our clean air goals, reduce asthma and boost public health,” said Jack Broadbent, executive officer of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. “This effort will help us meet the region’s Clean Air Plan goals of deploying 100,000 plug-in vehicles by 2020. The smarter our transportation choices, the better it will be for air quality around our neighborhoods and the more money from gas savings in our pockets.”

The EV Promotional Campaign, which is scheduled to launch early next year, will focus on increasing awareness of EVs in the Bay Area through education and outreach, including “ride and drive” events that enable Bay Area residents to experience the “electric feeling” of driving the new generation of EVs available from an increasing number of manufacturers -- ranging from Tesla and BMW to Chevy, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and many others coming to market later this year. Marin County Supervisor and MTC Commissioner Steve Kinsey, who co-chairs the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, noted, “This campaign will provide another jumpstart for the EV market in the region, which already is emerging as the EV Capital of the U.S. We look forward to partnering with all the EV manufacturers, major employers and other industry partners to ensure these ride and drive events are a success.”

MTC, which launched its Climate Initiatives Program in October 2010, has invested approximately $8 million to date in regional EV demonstration projects, including pilot programs for charging infrastructure and incentives for municipal and car-sharing fleets.

“Meeting the region’s targets could reduce Bay Area drivers’ fuel costs by $120 million a year or more,” explained BACC’s Executive Director, Rafael Reyes. “While EVs are in an early stage of adoption, their share of the total vehicle market is actually growing more quickly than conventional hybrids did when they were first introduced. Each quarter there is sales growth of EVs in California, so we know this market will accelerate quickly as consumers experience the high performance, low operating costs, and environmental benefits of EVs.”

Currently there are approximately 10,000 EVs in the nine-county Bay Area, and the region accounts for 36 percent of all plug-in vehicles in California. Building on work by EV Strategic Council members such as Plug In America, San Francisco’s City CarShare and other groups, the EV Promotional Campaign will target potential “early adopters” to encourage drivers to buy or lease EVs or to use plug-in EVs through car-sharing outlets. The campaign will provide opportunities for the public to try EVs at company campuses and public locations throughout the region, and will include integrated media promotion.

About the Bay Area EV Strategic Council

The Bay Area EV Strategic Council is an executive forum created to establish the Bay Area as an “EV Capital” region, as measured by the mass adoption of EVs. In addition to Broadbent and Kinsey, members of the EV Strategic Council include San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, Oakland Mayor Jean Quan, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger, ABAG Executive Director Ezra Rapport, and senior executives from the Silicon Valley Leadership Group; Tesla; PG&E; Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers; ChargePoint; ECOtality; City CarShare; Plug In America; the Clean Cities Coalitions of the Bay Area; and the Monterey Bay EV Alliance. The EV Strategic Council is co-facilitated by the Bay Area Climate Collaborative and the EV Communities Alliance.

About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative

The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and established by the Mayors of San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland to accelerate the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, PG&E, Environmental Defense Fund, and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. In addition to co-facilitating the Bay Area EV Strategic Council, the BACC is driving electric vehicle innovation through theLocal Government EV Fleet National Demonstration Project, the largest collective municipal all-battery EV fleet deployment in the US, and Ready, Set, Charge, California!A Guide to EV-Ready Communities delivering key guidance on EV preparedness. For more information on the BACC, please visit: www.baclimate.org

Awards were presented in three categories to the following recipients:

Most EV Ready Business (tied) – Google, SAP

Most EV Ready Community - Small/Medium category – The City of Davis; Large category – The City of San Jose

Most EV Ready Development – Madera Apartments

Award nominees were evaluated by a committee of industry experts on multiple criteria including leader and community engagement, number of EV charging stations, adopted policies and ordinances supporting charging station investment and dissemination, streamlined permitting for charging station construction, and outreach and education to further accelerate the EV market.

This year’s award winners distinguished themselves as the most EV ready in the Bay Area among dozens of applicants. Google continuously provides employees with access to a rapidly growing pool of over 50 plug-in carsharing vehicles, over 75 EVs for intra-campus service and mobility, and a robust EV charging infrastructure with over 400 vehicle chargers. SAP was recognized for its employee EV leasing program, early adopter approach for EV stations on campus and EV shuttles, financial incentives, executive engagement in EV strategy, and outstanding EV ecosystem products. The City of Davis was selected as the most EV ready small community for its impressive proliferation of EV charging stations throughout the city, and for strongly emphasizing community involvement and outreach to advance the local EV ecosystem. The City of San Jose was recognized as the most EV ready large community for their intergovernmental operations of streamlining charging station permitting processes, incorporating and enforcing EV-friendly policies, and installing numerous public chargers in accessible locations. In the Development category, Madera Apartments was acknowledged as a notable model for establishing a pre-wiring infrastructure for Level 1 charging stations and individual house meters throughout its complex.

The awards were presented by Jason Wolf, CEO of Collaboratev, an independent roaming and clearing company that enables charging operators to simplify and enhance the EV driver's experience and drive further growth of the EV industry. “Achieving mass adoption of EVs is a primary goal for society as a whole, and it is important to recognize Bay Area private and public sector organizations who are leading the way. Collaboratev is proud to support this year’s Bay Area EV Readiness Awards,” said Wolf.

“These businesses, developments, and local governments are leading the charge in the state’s ambitious goal of 100,000 electric vehicles by 2020,” said Rafael Reyes, Executive Director of the Bay Area Climate Collaborative. “With their leadership, the state is that much closer to realizing over $120 million in fuel savings annually – improving the economy, community health and reducing climate impacts.”

The Ready, Set, Charge! Bay Area EV Readiness Awards evaluation committee included the following EV experts:

Collaboratev is a platform that provides a seamless charging experience for EV drivers. Collaboratev is an industry-wide platform for interoperability, data exchange, station information and financial reconciliation, and invites all of the industry to join as affiliates. For more information on Collaboratev, please visit: www.collaboratev.com

About the Bay Area Climate Collaborative

The Bay Area Climate Collaborative (BACC) is a public-private initiative accelerating the clean energy economy. Major partners include Bank of America, Pacific Gas & Electric, Environmental Defense Fund and local governments representing over 70 percent of the Bay Area population. The BACC is driving electric vehicle, energy efficiency, residential upgrades and distributed renewables innovation. For more information on the BACC, please visit: http://www.baclimate.org/.

About the Silicon Valley Leadership Group

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group, founded in 1978 by David Packard of Hewlett-Packard, represents more than 335 of Silicon Valley’s most respected employers on issues, programs and campaigns that affect the economic health and quality of life in Silicon Valley, including energy, transportation, education, housing, health care, tax policies, economic vitality and the environment. Leadership Group members collectively provide nearly one of every three private sector jobs in Silicon Valley. For more information on the Leadership Group, please visit: http://svlg.org/.